A Cross-sectional Study of Nicotine Intoxication among Medical Graduates: Recognition of Tobacco Utilization Patterns

Abstract

Abstract Background: Intoxication of tobacco is one of the leading causes of oral cancer. In India, the frequency of tobacco use is also more among students. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among undergraduate medical students. A total of 178 students took part in the survey. After obtaining the data, we have done statistical analysis using the SPSS software version 25. Results: The prevalence of tobacco use among medical students was 15.73%. We found that factors such as place of staying (P = 0.023) and family history of tobacco use (0.014) are significantly associated with tobacco use. Furthermore, in multivariate logistic regression, we found that 4th-year students show higher odds (odds ratio [OR] =4.11) and family history of tobacco use (OR = 1.18) are the risk factors for tobacco use. Conclusion: Students must have awareness and the knowledge of harmful effects of tobacco. We may infer that even while medical students were quite aware of the adverse effects of tobacco use, they mostly learned about these effects through electronic media; hence, it is vital to incorporate instruction on nicotine dependency and cessation early in the courses of medical universities.